How to care for your hair post-summer
With the summer heat comes a host of concerns about what we're doing for summer hair care, especially when family get-togethers, vacations, and other fun adventures are going to put us out under the sun more often than not. Dry hair in the summer almost seems like an unavoidable side-effect to all that merriment, and once it's all over you may dread the maintenance you'll have to put in to get back to your most luxurious. It turns out that much of what you can do to protect your hair during the summer can also do wonders to repair once it's over. Worry not and read on for the only post-summer hair guide you're going to need to beat the heat.
How Can I Keep My Hair Healthy During and After Summer?
Many of the basics apply to all the questions that follow.
The following steps, with a few recommended summer hair care products to help you along the way, are good for most all hair types as your best lines of defense against damage and dry hair in the summer, and they can help reduce and repair damage once summer is over:
- Use a color safe hair care line to stop UVA or UVB rays from oxidizing your hair color, especially important for your summer hair care if you've had it color-treated.
- Use a deep conditioning mask once a week, and if it's still warm enough to do it, let the sun's heat do the work for you by laying out with the mask on.
- Have your hair trimmed, even if you're growing your hair out, to stop split ends from continuing up the shaft of the hair.
- Limit how much you shampoo to every other day or even twice a week. Use dry shampoo and condition on off days.
- If you're getting in a last swim or two before the chill sets in, remember to get your hair wet under the tap before you go swimming to avoid absorbing so many chemicals, and rinse again when you get out of the pool.
- Cover your head with hats and scarves to keep the sun's rays off your scalp.
- When humidity haunts you even in the autumn, fight frizz with products that can tame your hair such as smoothing shampoos and leave-in conditioners.
How Can I Hydrate My Hair In and After Summer?
Hydration is key for summer hair care and post-summer hair care. An essential part of treating dry hair in summer and in its wake is keeping it hydrated, just like the rest of your body. While these tips cast a wide net, there's still more dry summer hair remedies you can tackle:
- Drink more water. This is important for every part of your body, including your hair. Two or three liters of water per day tends to be enough.
- Which shampoo is best in summer and after, you might ask? Choose the one that adds the moisture you need. Change up your shampoos and conditioners and look for formulas for dry hair or a specific moisturizing shampoo, so you know you're getting a little extra TLC with every wash.
- Avoid heat styling as much as possible to expose your hair to less heat overall. Braids, puffs, and a number of other styles are easy to nail without a hot iron.
- Use a refreshing hair mist throughout the day, either when you're exposed to lots of arid conditions or when your hair is still recovering from those that have come and gone.
How to Make Hair Soft In and After Summer
No summer hair guide is complete without tips on texture, and this is true for post-summer hair as well. Part of the problem that is dry hair in summer is the way it both looks and feels. You want hair that's soft to the touch and bounces. Following the above steps are an important step in the right direction, but if you want to know how to make hair soft in summer and after, there are a few other steps you can take for during and post-summer hair care:
- Coconut, olive, and almond oil treatments between washes can add some extra moisture.
- Keep your hair clean but don't over-shampoo. On off days you should still be taking time to care for your hair how you can.
- Deep condition with hair packs made from natural ingredients. Once every one to two weeks won't just make your hair soft; it's essential in summer hair care and a crucial step in post-summer recovery.
- Use hair stylers that contain aloe vera, which locks in moisture and promotes growth.
- Cold-rinse your hair at the end of a shower. This locks in moisture, reduces frizz, and closes your cuticles.
- Air dry your hair instead of blow-drying and avoid heat tools for styling. If you need to heat style your hair, use a protectant spray to minimize heat damage to hair.
- Make healthy additions to your diet. Consume foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and protein like salmon.
Whatever your hair type, refer to this post-summer hair guide and tips for treating dry hair, which can get you well on your way to better hair health and appearance, even if you weren't so kind to your locks in the warmer months. Remember, at the core of it all, and it's important that you stay cool and stay hydrated.
Consider any of Palmer's hair care products for your post-summer hair care regimen, all of which have a particular emphasis on retaining moisture balance and the use of natural ingredients.
